_ 208 _ in which Dom Antão was sailing, had entered the Strait of Basra and that it would undoubtedly have captured that city from him had it not been for the trick that the Pasha had played on the captain (which was described at length above), something which was a great blot on his honour and weakened his position, he decided to send supplies to that fortress so that it would be totally secure, since he was prevented from sailing along the River Euphrates, out of which his fleets had to force their way if he was to become master of the whole of the Persian Strait, which he very much wanted and intended. He thus gave orders to equip twenty-five galleys that were in Suez with great urgency. He appointed a former pirate named Piribec (Piri Reis), a competent and determined man, as captain of these and gave instructions for one thousand two hundred men to embark with great haste in the galleys that were in Suez, Alexandria and other ports and to sail to Basra where they would find orders about what they had to do. However, under no circumstances were they to enter Muscat, Ormuz or any place belonging to the Portuguese. Rather should they make every effort to carry on to Basra without being seen by them. As soon as he had dispatched Piri Reis, he sent a message to the Pasha of Basra that he should make ready
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